November Bus Tour of the Left Wing of Sherman's Army
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Departure time: 10 a.m.
Return time: around 1 p.m.
Ticket prices: $20 per person
Leaving from:
Cayce Historical Museum
1800 12th Street
Cayce, SC 29033
On November 17, 2007 the Greater Columbia Civil War Alliance will have its first ever bus tour of the Left Wing of General Sherman's army. Narrated by Dean Hunt, a history teacher and author of a soon-to-be-published book on the left wing of Sherman's army, the tour will leave at 10 a.m. from the Cayce Historical Museum, which is part of the Cayce Municipal Complex in Cayce, S.C.
The tour will give participants the unique opportunity to learn about a part of Civil War history that is seldom acknowledged by tracing the route of the Left Wing of General Sherman's army as it marched through central Lexington County in February of 1865. Most historians know the march of the Right Wing as it entered Columbia, S.C. However, many people do not know, or have little understanding, of the actions of the Left Wing of the army. This tour hopes to educate the public about these events.
The Left Wing comprised of 24,492 men, 1,181 officers and 919 men of artillery, under the overall command of General H. W. Slocum. The army was made up of two army corps: the 20th Corps, A. S. Williams Commanding and the 14th Army Corps, J. C. Davis Commanding. The opposing Confederates numbered some 2,000-2,500 of General Joseph Wheeler's cavalry, who tried to slow the Union advance.
The tour will travel to the southern boundary of Lexington County, where the Union army entered the District. We will tour the skirmish sites along the North Edisto River. We will make stops at Jeffcoats, Horseys and Gunter's Bridges, where dismounted Confederate cavalry and artillery disputed the Union army's crossing the river. The Confederates burned all three bridges and delayed the Federal advance by one day. Next, we will travel north of the town of Pelion, S.C. to visit camp sites of the Union army and skirmish sites at the following locations:
- Skirmish at Columbia crossroads north of Pelion
- Skirmish site near Edmund community, where the Left Wing encountered a brigade of Confederate cavalry
- Skirmish sites along Old Orangeburg Road, where there were multiple cavalry actions
- Site of heavy skirmish at Congaree Creek near Red Bank, S.C., where some 50 dismounted Confederate cavalry burned the bridge at the creek and chopped down trees in the road to slow the Federal advance
- Skirmish at Red Bank Creek
- Skirmish at Two League Crossroads
- Ending with the Union advance into the town of Lexington at the Court House at Hwy 6 and I-20
This will be an informative tour, aiming to educate people about the role of the Union army's activities in Lexington County.
***Lunch will not be provided, but there will be beverages available. Those who would like to have lunch before we return shortly after 1 p.m. are more than welcome to bring a lunch with them on the bus.
Directions to the Cayce Historical Museum:
From Downtown Columbia:
- Get on Blossom Street headed NW (toward Cayce/West Columbia)
- Blossom Street will become Knox Abbott Drive/ US-176/ US-21/ US321
- Turn left onto 12th Street/ SC-35
- End at 1800 12th Street, Cayce, SC 29033
From the Charlotte, NC area:
- Take I-77 South toward Columbia
- Merge onto SC-277 via exit 18 (toward I-20 W/Columbia/Augusta)
- Turn right onto Elmwood Avenue/ US-76
- Turn left onto Assembly Street/ SC-48 S
- Turn right onto Blossom Street/ US-21 CONN/ US-76 CONN)
- Blossom Street will become Knox Abbott Drive/ US-176/ US-21/ US321
- Turn left onto 12th Street/ SC-35
- End at 1800 12th Street, Cayce, SC 29033
From the Charleston, SC area:
- Take I-26 West toward Columbia
- Merge onto Charleston Highway/ US-176 W/ US-21 N/ US-321 N via exit 115 (toward Cayce/ Columbia)
- Take a slight right onto Frink Street/ SC-2 (after about 2 miles)
- Turn left onto 12th Street/ SC-35
- End at 1800 12th Street, Cayce, SC 29033
From the Augusta, GA area:
- Take I-20 toward Columbia
- Merge onto US-1 N/ Augusta Rd. via exit 58 toward West Columbia/ Columbia Airport
- After about 6 miles there will be a fork in the road. Stay left at the fork to go on SC-12/ Jarvis Klapman Blvd.
- Take a slight right onto N 12th Street/ SC-35
- End at 1800 12th Street, Cayce, SC 29033
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